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barred pickerel

barred pickerel

9.4
A small lively fish with dark stripes found on the Atlantic coast
  • noun
  • /bɑrd ˈpɪkərəl/
  • US
translation icon : pícaro rayado
  • The barred pickerel can be distinguished by its dark vertical stripes and slender body.

Examples

  • Anglers often seek the barred pickerel for its spirited fight despite its small size.

  • While fishing along the Atlantic coast, she caught a colorful barred pickerel.

  • The barred pickerel is known for its vibrant colors.

  • Have you ever caught a barred pickerel?

  • Anglers often seek the barred pickerel for its spirited fight despite its small size.

  • The barred pickerel can be distinguished by its dark vertical stripes and slender body.

  • While fishing along the Atlantic coast, she caught a colorful barred pickerel.

Synonyms

pickerel
vsbarred pickerel
  • US
1 9.9

A small thin freshwater fish similar to a pike found in North America

is a specific local species rather than the general group term
Esox americanus
vsbarred pickerel
  • Specialized
9.9

A small, lively fish like a pike found along the east coast of North America

is the everyday common name rather than the scientific label
redfin pickerel
vsbarred pickerel
  • US
9.9

A small lively fish with red fins that lives in coastal streams

is the same species without stressing the reddish fin trait

Surface Forms

Morphology

barred + pickerel

The noun phrase is directly compositional: 'barred' (having parallel colored bands) simply describes the kind of 'pickerel' (a small pike), so the meaning 'a pickerel with bands' is immediately derivable from the parts. This adjective + noun pattern is a basic, cross-linguistically common construction, so a B1 learner who knows both words would readily understand the MWE.

Etymology

Barred pickerel comes from how the fish looks: barred names the dark vertical 'stripes' on its body and pickerel is a word for a small 'fish'. So the name explains why it refers to a small, lively striped fish today.